SCHENECTADY, NY – Senior midfielder Keri Messa (Saratoga Springs, NY) broke the single season assist record in her final regular season home game, and freshmen attacks Kristin Joyce (Longmeadow, MA) and Chelsea Charette (South Hadley, MA) combined for 11 goals as #8 Union defeated St. John Fisher, 19-15 at Frank Bailey Field Sunday afternoon. The Dutchwomen, now 10-2, have won 10 or more games for seven straight seasons. The Cardinals fell to 10-6 after this non-league contest.
Messa dished out her 31st assist of the season to Joyce with 25:58 remaining in the second half, to break the Union single season record of 30 set by Nina Mandel in 2003. The senior, one of five honored after their final regular season home game, also had a goal, four caused turnovers and six shots. Joyce scored six goals and Charette tallied five with an assist, while Union also got three goals from Allie Cuozzo (Norfolk, MA), and two each from Liz Zamore (South Hero, VT) and Caitlin Cuozzo (Norfolk, MA).
St. John Fisher was led by freshman Mary Stimson (Cicero, NY) and senior Laurie Quackenbush (Penn Yan, NY), who each scored three goals, while Quackenbush also had an assist. The Cardinals got two goals each from Courtney Clare (Camillus, NY), Lauren Glavin (Syracuse, NY) and Jill Lockwood (Clarence, NY), while Clare also dished out an assist.
Union had a 34-24 shot advantage and forced 26 Fisher turnovers, while committing 16. The Dutchwomen won 22 of 36 draws and had a 26-21 ground ball edge. Sophomore goaltender Vicki Sahm (Baldwinsville, NY) made eight saves, including seven in the second half, for the Cardinals, while Melissa McDonald (Lynnfield, MA) stopped five Fisher shots.
The Cardinals scored the first two tallies of the game for a 2-0 lead just 1:55 into the contest. But Allison Cuozzo tied it with two goals in the next 2:02, and Union scored six of the next seven for an 8-3 lead with 21:29 left. Clare and Stimson had goals at 20:40 and 19:01, and after a Joyce score, the Cardinals scored three straight with Lockwood tying the game at 10-10 with 6:51 left. But Union regained the led on Charette's fourth of the half and 26th of the year at 6:18, and the Dutchwomen held the lead the rest of the half, with a 14-12 score after 30 minutes.
The Dutchwomen tallied twice in the first five minutes of the second stanza for a 16-12 advantage, but the Cardinals got back to within two with goals at 24:43 and 22:52. Joyce notched her 35th at 22:34 for a 17-14 score, and Clare made it a two goal game once again with her 25th at 16:41. But Zamore added insurance for the hosts at 15:36 and Joyce capped the scoring at 9:44.
After the contest, Union honored five seniors who have a current record of 46-16 in their careers. Messa, Caitlin Cuozzo, Julie Rahill (Ridgewood, NJ), Erin Lawson (Flourtown, PA) and Emily Bryson (Charlestown, MA) were recognized, as Union has two away games left on the regular season schedule, including Tuesday at Nazareth at 5 p.m.
Box score
